Amnesty International publishes annual human rights report

Amnesty International (AI) on Thursday published its annual report entitled State of the Worlds Human Rights , which details the human rights landscape across the world in 2012. The report focuses on the increasing danger faced by those displaced from their homes.

This includes international refugees displaced by violence and those internally displaced. More than 42 million individuals have been forced to flee from their homes because of violence or persecution. Specifically, the fighting in Syria has displaced more than 1.5 million people. The report states:

The most vulnerable are the 12 million stateless people in the world, equivalent in numbers to the world's great agglomerations such as London, Lagos or Rio. And around 80% of them are women. Without the protection of their 'sovereign' state these people are true global citizens. And their protection falls to all of us. They are the purest argument for the fulfilment of the duty to protect there is. For human rights protections must be applied to all humans, whether at home or not.

The report goes on to highlight improvements and issues in specific countries. Notably, the report alleges both Israel and Palestine committed war crimes in November 2012. Also, the report highlights what AI calls a "deficit of justice" in the Brazilian justice system. Finally, the report notes New Zealand's high rate of child poverty as an area of needed improvement.

AI regularly reports on human rights violations around the world. In a recent comment, JURIST Guest Columnist Clare da Silva of AI argued that the new Arms Trade Treaty shows remarkable progress in the international regulation of arms transactions. In April AI criticized Russia laws restricting free speech. Earlier last month AI reported on Iraq executing 21 individuals convicted of terrorism. Also that month AI called upon Ukraine to investigate police brutality and torture.